כִּֽי־מִפְּנֵ֥י חֲרָבֹ֖ות נָדָ֑דוּ מִפְּנֵ֣י חֶ֣רֶב נְטוּשָׁ֗ה וּמִפְּנֵי֙ קֶ֣שֶׁת דְּרוּכָ֔ה וּמִפְּנֵ֖י כֹּ֥בֶד מִלְחָמָֽה׃ ס
For because of swords they fled; because of a drawn sword, and because of a bent bow, and because of the heaviness of war.
Morphology
- כִּֽי־ (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “For”; Notes: Introduces the reason for their fleeing.
- מִפְּנֵ֥י (mi-penei) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Preposition + plural construct form; Translation: “because of”; Notes: Used repeatedly to emphasize cause or reason.
- חֲרָבֹ֖ות (ḥaravot) – Root: חרב (ḥerev); Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “swords”; Notes: Symbolic of warfare and danger.
- נָדָ֑דוּ (nadadu) – Root: נדד (nadad); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine plural; Translation: “they fled”; Notes: Indicates the response of refugees or fugitives.
- מִפְּנֵ֣י (mi-penei) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Preposition + plural construct; Translation: “because of”; Notes: Repeated again for rhetorical intensity.
- חֶ֣רֶב (ḥerev) – Root: חרב (ḥerev); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “a sword”; Notes: Focus shifts to a specific, singular weapon.
- נְטוּשָׁ֗ה (netushah) – Root: נטש (natash); Form: Qal passive participle feminine singular; Translation: “drawn”; Notes: Describes a sword unsheathed, ready for battle.
- וּמִפְּנֵי֙ (u-mi-penei) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Conjunction + preposition + construct; Translation: “and because of”; Notes: Continues the litany of reasons.
- קֶ֣שֶׁת (qeshet) – Root: קשת (qeshet); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “a bow”; Notes: Weapon of archery, often paired with warfare imagery.
- דְּרוּכָ֔ה (derukhah) – Root: דרך (darakh); Form: Qal passive participle feminine singular; Translation: “bent”; Notes: Refers to a bow that is drawn and ready to shoot.
- וּמִפְּנֵ֖י (u-mi-penei) – Root: פנה (panah); Form: Conjunction + preposition + construct; Translation: “and because of”; Notes: Final repetition linking the last clause.
- כֹּ֥בֶד (koved) – Root: כבד (kaved); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “heaviness”; Notes: Indicates burden, severity, or intensity.
- מִלְחָמָֽה (milḥamah) – Root: לחם (laḥam); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “war”; Notes: Culminates the list as the overarching cause of fear and flight.